5/21/2011 Race recap by Carey Fox

By CAREY FOX

Times Sports Editor

PUTNAMVILLE —
Saturday evening’s schedule at Lincoln Park Speedway in the heart of
scenic Putnamville, Ind. provided a wealth of racing action for the
fans in attendance under beautiful blue skies.
Two extra features were on the slate after being rained out the
previous weekend, creating a six feature extravaganza for the night.

Kenny Carmichael Sr. claimed the top spot to open the night in the
UMP Super Stock make-up feature and Lloyd Walls brought Zeul
Trucking, General JzLr Contracting, Crazy 8 Racing No. 1 bomber into
victory lane in the second rained out A-Main.
In the regular evening’s card, 15-year old Braylon Fitzpatrick
scored his first sprint car feature victory. Rob Fuqua held off the
competition for a UMP Modified feature win, Josh Burton won his
second UMP Super Stock feature at LPS this season and David
Bumgardner did the same in the bomber division.
There might be some budding, sibling rivalry amongst the Fitzpatrick
family as Braylon showed patience and a heavy foot in passing Ethan
Barrow and Dakota Jackson with five laps remaining and then pulling
away to the sprint win.
Fitzpatrick started outside row two alongside Kent Christian and
behind the front row of Jackson and Barrow.
The action was intense throughout the feature as Barrow and Jackson
were wheel-to-wheel over much of the first half of the race. Barrow
was eventually able to build as much as a seven-car length advantage
over Jackson, Christian and Fitzpatrick, who were all dicing for the
second position.
The group slowly reeled Barrow in despite running in a tight pack
over the bottom and middle of the track. Jackson went to the top in
the second spot and pulled even with Barrow near the halfway point
of the feature as Fitzpatrick snug under Christian for the third
spot.
A caution flag re-set the field with Barrow, Jackson, Fitzpatrick,
Christian, Shane Hollingsworth, Wes McIntyre and Jonathan Vennard up
front along with Seth Parker and last week’s winner, Jon Sciscoe.
On the re-start, Sciscoe’s night concluded with mechanical problems
and Barrow jumped to the bottom to hold onto the point. Jackson held
onto second for several more laps, but drifted up the track in turn
two and provided an opening for Fitzpatrick, who ducked under and
into second down the backstretch.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t going to stay in second long as he made his move
for the lead off turn three and took the lead off of turn four with
five laps left. From there, he began to quickly open up space ahead
of Barrow in second.
Hollingsworth was able to get past Jackson for the third spot with
Christian finishing fifth. McIntyre took sixth, Vennard was seventh
ahead of Bub Cummings, Parker and Kyle Cummins.
Fitzpatrick’s first win came in his First Financial Bank, Indy Race
Parts, Lucas Oil, Spike-sponsored No. 3 sprinter.
For Rob Fuqua, the early portion of the UMP Modified season has been
a struggle with mechanical woes, but on Saturday night those
problems were firmly in the rearview as he went wheel-to-wheel with
Brian Hayden for the duration of the A-Main and came out victorious
in the AFCO, S&J Rentals, Lambert’s Towing, Fuqua Transfer, Rocket,
No. 3f.
Fuqua started alongside Hayden on the front row with Brad Barrow and
Roger Cary in row two.
Front the opening green, Fuqua and Hayden were battling side-by-side
ahead of a spirited tussle for third between a group of competitors
that included Cary, Barrow, Chris Brewer, Carlos Bumgardner, CJ
Bryan, Wes McClara and Paul Bumgardner.
Lap after lap, Fuqua and Hayden were locked in competition for that
top spot as Cary and Barrow chased. As Fuqua grabbed the lead, Cary
pulled off the track as the leaders got into lapped traffic.
Fuqua took the white flag and held onto the top spot for a victory
ahead of Hayden, Barrow, Carlos Bumgardner, Paul Bumgardner, Brewer,
Kenny Carmichael Sr., Ryan Thomas, Craig Conyer and Brian Yeatman.
In the UMP Super Stock main event, Josh Burton led wire-to-wire from
his pole position to claim his second LPS feature win of the season.
Burton was challenged throughout by a group that included Cullen
Goodman, Doug McCullough, Roy Bruce Jr. and make-up feature winner,
Kenny Carmichael Sr.
Burton took on all challengers and used the bottom of the track to
full extent to pick up the victory ahead of Goodman, McCullough,
Carmichael, Steve Peeden, Travis Heramb, Phil VanSant, Slick
Griffin, Kenny Carmichael Jr. and Paul Wright.
In the bomber feature, David Bumgardner and Corey Gregory nearly
went the distance with a side-by-side fight for the lead. The pair
duked it out, racing cleanly despite competing wheel-to-wheel for
the majority of the feature.
Gregory edged in front several times, but Bumgardner had an answer
each time.
Josh Foxworthy joined the fray during the final laps and was able to
edge past Gregory down the stretch as make-up feature winner, Lloyd
Walls moved up from 10th to place fourth ahead of Scott Tidwell.
Tony Tidwell placed sixth ahead of Josh Fagg, JR Watkins, Dale Lewis
and Josh Settles.
Bumgardner’s second win came in the Pizza King, Wood Trucking,
Cyclone Custom Products, Bumgardner’s Auto and Truck Repair
sponsored No. 5.
Next week will be a regular schedule of sprints, modifieds, super
stocks and bombers. General admission is $13 with kids 10-and-under
free.